The Rose Of Lothering
by Hollowgear
Summary: Alistair receives a summons from the Divine, delivered by none other than our favorite bard. This is my first post (publishing?), thus I beg thee to be gentle.


The Rose of Lothering

He picked the rose at Lothering a few years ago. The rose was the only living thing on the ugly, gnarled, clearly dead plant in the chantry gardens. For some reason it never wilted nor died, not on the coldest of nights nor the coldest of days. Later he realized that it was her rose and that he needed to return it.

The door to his office opened and Alistair Theirin turned his gaze away from the rose in his hands to see the familiar face of Aedan Cousland. Likely a to lift his weary spirits. Or inform him of bad news. Chancellors do that.

"Alistair," he said overly excited. "Leliana's back."

Alistair almost jumped out of his seat upon hearing that

"Leli? Here?"

Aedan gave him his no-there-is-an-ogre-behind-you look.

He ran out of his office with a chuckling Aedan behind him.

She hadn't changed much since the blight. She just wore dresses instead of armour. She still cut her hair just above the shoulders and wore a low cut red dress, her blue eyes laughed at an untold joke and her mouth spread into a grin at the sight of an old friend.

They talked for a while about what happened since the Blight. Alistair had received only headaches from the nobles. Leliana, on the other hand became the left hand of the Devine, taking the title Sister Nightingale. It was at dinner that night that she revealed her true reason for returning to Ferelden.

"The Devine wants to see you, Alistair," she said with the adorable lilt of her accent.

"Is that all? Has the mighty bards been reduced to simple messengers?" Aedan asked with a scandalized look on his face.

"It's not li-" her sentence, and glare, was cut short when she saw Alistair's smirk.

"And now even a lowly chancellor can render them speechless. Maker's breath, what has this world come to?" Alistair said, chuckling, and Leliana joined him filling the dining hall with her melodious laughter.

They set out with an entourage of guards, just one of the annoyances of being king, the next week. Alistair planned to give her the rose on the road. They took the north road to Vigil's keep since Aedan needed to check on his Wardens. They decided to stay the night as it was already dark.

That night Alistair found Leliana sitting cross-legged on the battlements staring at the stars. He sat next to her and just stared for a moment. She looked so different from the Leliana that he knew during the Blight. There were no bags under her eyes and her pale skin glowed. So intent was his staring that he didn't notice het staring back.

"Has the bard left the king speechless?" she asked with a giggle.

"Very," he said, "What were you doing staring at the stars like that?"

She pointed to the stars.

"There is a story about that cluster of stars there."

"Reeeaaaaly? Would the lovely bard be willing to spin a tale?"

"Gldadly," she giggled. "This is the story of Alindra and her soldier.

A long time ago there lived a fair maiden called Alindra. She had many suitors, but spurned them all, for she did not love them.

One day, Alindra was sitting by her window in her father's castle, singing and dreaming, when her lovely voice caught the attention of a young soldier. Entranced by her song, the soldier drew near to Alindra's window. As their eyes met, he fell in love with her, and she with him.

When Alindra told her father about the man she had chosen, he was furious, for Alindra was high-born, but her love nothing more than a common soldier. To keep them apart, he had Alindra imprisoned in the highest tower of his castle and sent her soldier to the wars.

Alas, not a month had passed before news of the soldier's death reached Alindra. Alone in her tower, Alindra wept for her love and beseeched the gods to deliver her from this cruel world. So ernest was her plea that the gods themselves were moved. They gathered Alindra in their arms and lifted her high into the heavens, where she became a star. The gods also raised up the soul of Alindra's soldier and there he dwells, across the horizon from her. The band of stars between them is a river of Alindra's tears, cried for her lost love.

It is said that when Alindra has cried enough, she will be able to cross the river to be reunited with her soldier…"

They were silent a few moments.

"That was… that was quite sad, actually." Alistair said matter-of-factly.

They sat in silence enjoying each other's presence. Then they heard Oghren's drunken swearing and laughed, knowing what was to follow would be hilarious.

It took eight days to reach Orzammar and during that time Alistair and Leliana reminisced about their travels during the Blight, learned more about each other's respective pasts and Leliana taught a surprisingly willing Alistair about the intrigues of court. Most of it was based Orlesian

Court intrigues, but Alistair learned nonetheless.

It took some time but once they reached the Ferelden-Orlais border, Alistair had all he needed to make the bouquet of the white flower known as Andraste's Grace, with Lothering's rose in the middle all held together with the chain of a necklace with a pendant of the sword of mercy.

On their last night in Ferelden he approached her, flowers in hand. His heart was pounding in his chest and his hands were shaking, the flowerless one did anyway. She was sitting in front of the campfire, staring intently. A bit of charcoal was in her one hand a book in the other. Most likely her diary. He hid the flowers behind his back and spoke.

"So… you're female, Leliana, right?" Alistair said, blushing to the tips of his ears.

That's _your opening sentence?_ He started to scold himself.

"I am? That's news. When did that happen?" she said with a raised eyebrow and a joke in her eyes. Now Alistair was floundering.

"I just wanted some advice. What should I do if... if I think a woman is special and—"

"You want to woo her? Here's a good tip: you shouldn't question her about her female-ness."

"All right, yes. Good point."

"Why do you ask? Are you afraid things will not proceed naturally?"

_No, of course they will. I'm just not seeing you after this. Most likely._

"Why would they? Especially when I do things like ask women if they're female."

"It adds to your charm, Alistair. You are a little awkward. It is endearing."

_Ha-ha. Point to Alistair. But wait…_

"So I should be awkward? Didn't you just say not to do things like that?"

"Just be yourself. You do know how to do that, don't you?"

_Shit, I'm stuck. Sigh. Now or never._

Alistair pulled the flowers from behind his back and presented them with a flourish.

"In that case, awkward it is."

She sat there, mouth open, her eyes incredulous. Alistair started to blush.

"Their… beautiful." She took the flowers and the expression on her face softened to a look of wistful memory.

"They smell like my mother." She said.

"I… I found the rose in Lothering." Alistair said staring at his feet. She cocked her head.

"In the chantry gardens. During the Blight. I thought you should have it. At first. Now I want to give it to the most beautiful girl in Thedas." It all came spilling out. He watched her expression chance from confusion to shock to horror and lastly a sheepish smile that graced her face.

Alistair returned it, along with a blush as red as the rose.

They gazed deeply into each other's eyes and moved closer. Alistair closed his eyes for a moment, but before his lips met hers, they heard cheering from beyond the campfire. Alistair turned to see Aedan in only a towel, returning from his bath in a nearby river. His red face burned even more fiercely end a quick look toward Leliana proved that she looked the same. Alistair shot him a glare. Aedan just gave Alistair a thumbs up in return and walked to his tent as if nothing had happened .

Even so, Aedan was not surprised when Alistair and Leliana crossed the border hand in hand.


End file.
